Piezoelectric actuators are electronic components that undergo mechanical distortion when voltage is applied across them. Under the influence of voltage, the crystalline structure of the piezoelectric material, e.g. ceramic, is affected such that the piezoelectric material will change shape. For example, if an alternating electric field is applied to a piezoelectric material, it will vibrate (contracting and expanding) at the frequency of the applied signal. This property of piezoelectric materials can be exploited to produce effective actuators—electronic components that can be used to displace a mechanical load. As voltage is applied to a piezoelectric actuator, the resulting change in the piezoelectric material's shape and size displaces the mechanical load. The electrical signals applied to a piezoelectric actuator are commonly either single-tone, i.e., single-frequency, or square-wave inputs.
In certain configurations, when a drive signal having sufficient voltage and appropriate frequency/frequencies is applied to a piezoelectric actuator, the piezoelectric actuator may induce movement in a mechanical load such as a fluid, generating droplets of the fluid, which may be ejected as a stream of droplets. During generation of an ejected stream of droplets, improved piezoelectric drivers, driver systems and methods of driving are generally desirable.